General Ethics

Code of Ethics

The Study of Ethics

• Ethics is derived from the Greek word ETHOS which means – Characteristic way of acting

Latin word mos, mores which means-Tradition or custom

Major Branches of Ethics

• Meta-Ethics– the theoretical meaning and reference of moral

propositions and how their truth-values may be determined.

– seeks to understand the nature of ethical properties, statements, attitudes, and judgments

– Question: What does 'right' even mean?

• Normative ethics– the practical means of determining a moral course

of action– Standards of rightness and wrongness– investigates the set of questions that arise when

considering how ought one to act– Question: How should people act?

• Applied Ethics– about how moral outcomes can be achieved in

specific situations– identify the morally correct course of action in

various fields of human life– Question: How do we take moral knowledge and

put it into practice?

• Descriptive ethics– about what moral values people actually abide by.– people's beliefs about morality– research into the attitudes of individuals or groups

of people– Question: What do people think is right?

• Moral Psychology– about how moral capacity or moral agency

develops and what its nature is.– Moral development focuses on the emergence,

change, and understanding of morality from infancy to adulthood.

The ethos of man is revealed in the following:

• He is able to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, moral and immoral

• He feels within himself an obligation to do what is good and to avoid what is evil.

• He feels himself accountable for his actions, expecting reward or punishment for them.

What is Ethics?

• Ethics is the practical science of the morality of human conduct• Ethics is said to be the study of human motivation, and human

rational behavior

MORALITY - is that quality of human acts by which we call some of this acts good and some evil.

HUMAN ACTS are those actions performed by man: knowingly and freely, deliberate or intentional actions, or voluntary.

ACTS OF MAN which are instinctive and involuntary

Principles of Ethics

• Personal Ethics – might also be called morality, since they reflect general expectation of any person in any society, acting and any capacity.

Principles of Personal Ethics include:1. Concern for the well-being of others2. Respect for the autonomy of others 3. Trustworthiness and honesty4. Willing compliance with the law5. Basic justice; being fair6. Benevolence; doing good7. Preventing harm

• Global Ethics – are most controversial of the three categories, and the least understood.

1. Global Justice2. Society before self3. Environmental stewardship

– Protection of water and soil– Prevention of erosion and water pollution– Flood management– Wildlife conservation– Protect archaeological sites and historic features– Provide public access to the countryside– Conserve rare traditional livestock breeds and varieties

4. Interdependence and responsibility for the whole5. Reverence

– the acknowledgement of the legitimacy of the power of one's superior or superiors

• Professional Ethics - the rules governing the conduct, transactions, and relationships within a profession and among its publics– Honesty - truthfulness– Integrity – consistency / accuracy– Transparency - openness– Accountability – liable / responsible– Confidentiality - accessibility– Objective – meeting conditions– Respectful - honour– Within the law

How good is a set of principles?

• They serve as landmarks – generic indicators to be used as compelling guides for an active conscience

• They are not absolute rules or values• They are more like rough measurement where an

exact one is not possible• They often conflict with each other in practice and

some will trump others under certain circumstances• They are compatible with the argument that we

should simply follow our intuition and rely on the inner voice